Jacob then gave Esau bread and lentil stew. [Esau] ate it, drank, got up and left. He thus rejected the birthright.

Commentary:

Keturah A concubine (1 Chronicles 1:32). Some sources identify her with Hagar (Targum Yonathan; Bereshith Rabbah 61; Rashi). Others, however, maintain that she was a third wife (Bereshith Rabbah 57; Zohar 1:133b; Ibn Ezra; Rashbam; Ramban on 25:6). One ancient source states that Hagar was already dead at this time (Yov'loth 19:13).

Zimran See Radak on Jeremiah 25:25. Some identify him with Zabram, a major city between Mecca and Medina mentioned in Ptolemy's Geography. Josephus renders the name Zambran.

Midian A well known nation, living to the northeast of the gulf of Aqaba on the Arabian Peninsula, in what is now southern Jordan. See Genesis 37:28, 36:25. They were often involved with the Israelites; Numbers 22:4, Judges 7:12, 6:1, etc. Most significantly, Moses married a Midianite woman (Exodus 2:16).

Shuach Job's friend in the land of Utz (Genesis 10:23, 22:21) was Bildad from Shuach (Job 2:11, Ibn Ezra ad loc.). In ancient times there was a nation by the name of Sachia in western Arabia, to the east of Batanaea (Ptolemy, Geography 5:15).

Sheba and Dedan See Genesis 10:7 and 10:28. The Targum on 1 Chronicles 1:32 translates these as Zmargad and M'zag, the same as on 1 Chronicles 1:9, and Genesis 10:7 (see note there). Since the Targum relates them, the verse may be speaking of groups that lived in specific places, and not individuals. Josephus renders Sheba here as Shabathan.

Ashurim... A nation (Rashi; Josephus). See Genesis 2:14, 10:11; note on Genesis 25:18. Possibly associated with Shur or Asir in Yemen. These are omitted in Chronicles. The Targum translates the three names here as, 'caravan drivers, traders and colonists' (cf. Targum Yonathan; Bereshith Rabbah 61; Rashi; see Targum on 46:3).

Eiphah An Arabian tribe mentioned as bringing gold and incense in caravans from Sheba; Isaiah 60:6 (Rashi ad loc.). The Targum on Isaiah 60:6 renders it Halad, while the Targum on 1 Chronicles 1:33 renders it Chavaled.

Epher From which Africa received its name according to Josephus. He also quotes Alexander Polyhistor (c. 100-40 b.c.e.) that this Epher conquered Libia and gave it his name, Africa (Antiquities 1:15:1).

country of the East It seems that all these lived in the Arabian peninsula, and Josephus supports this. He also writes that they took over the lands of the Troglodytes, an ancient people living along the Red Sea (Antiquities 1:15:1; see Herodotus 4:183; Didorus 3:31; Strabo 17:771).

This then... Literally, 'These are the days of the years of Abraham's life that he lived;' see Genesis 25:17. We interpret 'days' here as being idiomatic for 'account.'

175 years It can easily be seen from the dates given in scripture here that Isaac was 75 years old, and Ishmael 88 when Abraham died. Jacob and Esau were 15; see note on Genesis 25:29.

NebayothNevayoth in Hebrew. The Torah later specifies that it was his sister who married Esau (Genesis 28:9, 36:3). It appears that the people of Nebayoth were nomads engaged in sheep-raising (Isaiah 16:7; Radak ad loc.). They are identified with the Nabetaeans, who lived in northern Arabia, to the south of the Dead Sea (Targum on 1 Chronicles 1:29; Josephus, Antiquities 1:12:4. See 1 Maccabees 5:25, 9:35, 2 Maccabees 5:8; Strabo 16:4; Pliney 12:37). Their capital was Petra, the ancient site of Kadesh (Strabo 16:799, 17:803; Pliney 6:32). Also see Josephus, Antiquities 14:3:3. 14:6:4.

Kedar The Targum renders this as Arabia; cf. Ezekiel 27:21. This was a well known nation; see Isaiah 21:16,17, 42:11, Jeremiah 2:10. They were an eastern tribe (Jeremiah 49:28), raising and dealing in sheep (Isaiah 60:17, Ezekiel 27:21), living in black tents (Song of Songs 1:5), and they were hostile (Psalms 120:5). They were associated with a city Chatzor (Jeremiah 49:28). Some identify them with the Kidru found in Assyrian writings, and with the Cedrei in ancient geographies (Pliney 5:11).

Duma See Isaiah 21:11 (Radak, Ibn Ezra, ad loc., but see Rashi). Josephus renders it Idumas, perhaps relating it to Idumia. There was a place on the Syrian-Arabian border known as Duma or Dumath Algandel. There is also a Duma in Syria, some 10 miles east of Damascus. Domita is mentioned by Ptolemy (5:19).

Tema It is associated with Arabia (Isaiah 21:14), especially with Dedan and Buz (Jeremiah 25:23). This was also a people who had caravans associated with Sheba (Job 6:19). It was a nation that lived in the northern Arabian desert. It may be associated with the present city of Tayma in Saudi Arabia. The Targum on 1 Chronicles 1:30 renders it Adroma, literally 'the south.' There is an area known as Hadramut in southern Arabia.

Yetur Yetur and Nafish were driven out of the area east of the Jordan by Reuben, Gad and Manasseh (1 Chronicles 5:19; Rashi ad loc.). This is in the exact area of Ituraea, northeast of Lake Hula (see Strabo 16:755; Pliney 5:19). They originally came from another area named Ituraea in the Arabian Desert (Strabo 16:756). They then settled in the mountain range to the north and south of Damascus, in regions where it was difficult to reach them. During the time of the Second Temple, the Hasmonean King Aristoblus forced the people of Ituraea to convert to Judaism and annexed their territory to Judea (Josephus, Antiquities 13:11:3). The area was later annexed to Syria by the Romans (Tacticus, Annals 12:23).

Havilah See Genesis 2:11, 10:7, 10:29. Saul also pursued the Amelikes between Shur and Havilah; 1 Samuel 15:7. Others interpret this expression as Havilah-by-Shur to distinguish from other places known as Havilah.

They overran... (Cf. Rashi; Hirsch). See Genesis 16:12. This would mean that the Ishmaelite Arabs would take over the territory of Abraham's other sons, dominating the entire Middle East. Literally, 'on the face of all his brethren he fell.' Others interpret it, 'He traveled among all his brothers' as a nomad (Ibn Ezra). Another interpretation is, 'He died in the presence of all his brethren' (Ibn Ezra). See note on Genesis 37:28.

Padan Aram Some sources state that this is identical with Aram Naharaim mentioned in Genesis 24:10 (Radak). Others write that padan means a yoke or field, and that this is the Field of Aram (Hosea 12:13), the area between Aram Naharaim and Aram Tzova (Allepo) (Rashi; Ibn Ezra). Charan is about 100 miles northeast of Allepo. The word padan is found to mean a pair (Targum on 1 Samuel 11:7). The area is sometimes simply called Padan alone (Genesis 48:7). Also see Daniel 11:45.

when this occurred (Hirsch). Otherwise, the expression here is very ambiguous: 'If so, why am I thus?' Some interpret it; 'If this is the way it must be, why go on?' (Ramban; cf. Bereshith Rabbah 63). Other interpretations are, 'If [there is such pain], why did we pray for children?' (Rashi); 'Why am I having such an unusual pregnancy?' (Ibn Ezra; Radak); or, 'If I am upright, why is this happening?' (HaKethav VeHaKabbalah).

Isaac....favored him Isaac saw that Esau was careful to honor his parents, and could therefore be trusted to keep the tradition from previous generations (see note on Genesis 27:4). Others interpret this sentence, 'Isaac loved Esau because he was a trapper with his mouth,' that is, a smooth talker (Tanchuma 8; Rashi; Hirsch).

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